The climate crisis is now

A hailstorm in Islamabad and surrounding areas a few days ago delivered one of the harshest warnings for both urban and rural populations. Farmlands were devastated, and the expensive windscreens of cars, SUVs and other vehicles – old and new alike – were shattered without discrimination. It served as a stark reminder that climate change can destroy anything if it is not taken seriously.

Pakistan is among the top ten most vulnerable countries and one of the most climate-affected nations in the world. The international community must take climate disasters seriously in order to effectively manage and mitigate their impact on a permanent basis.

Climate disasters are occurring all over the globe, severely impacting human life. Droughts, cyclones, hurricanes, floods, hailstorms and heatwaves have become some of the deadliest threats to humanity. The last calendar year, 2024, was the hottest year in recorded history. Continents including Europe, America, Africa, Australia and Asia have all been equally affected by climate change. Even Antarctica has not been spared, as extreme heat has led to glacier melt and rising sea levels.

Extreme heat claimed the lives of 1,300 pilgrims in Saudi Arabia last year, when temperatures soared to nearly 52 degrees Celsius. Other countries such as the UAE, Kenya, India, and various EU nations also suffered from floods and related casualties. Pakistan is no exception.

Spain was the most affected country in Europe last year. Hurricanes devastated the US and the Caribbean, along with the Philippines. Key events of last year’s disasters include severe flooding in Europe, hurricanes and cyclones in the US, drought in Brazil, and hailstorms in Africa and Asia. Extensive flooding in Spain killed almost 200 people in the province of Valencia. Hurricanes Helene and Milton exacerbated the disaster in the US while also affecting the EU region, causing more than $24 billion in losses in America last year. The cost of the drought in Brazil was approximately three billion dollars. Pakistan, India and other Asian nations, including China, had to bear losses of more than $40 billion. Migration due to weather conditions and heatwaves adds to the overall losses caused by multiple climatic disasters.

The scale and frequency of climate disasters have increased in recent years. These climatic emergencies have become so rampant and common that insurance companies are reluctant to insure farms and properties. They have also started increasing their premiums due to uncertain climate changes and unpredictable weather patterns. Climate-vulnerable countries like Pakistan are in distress and struggling with how to cope with the current climate vulnerabilities. One approach is to ensure and insure farms and agricultural products through general insurance companies. In fact, climate risk has created a greater need for insurance than ever before to help mitigate losses. Although insurance fees may increase the cost of living, they can protect people from total loss.

The fiery rains in 2022 affected 33 million people in Pakistan, causing an estimated economic loss of over $30 billion. Despite all odds, Pakistan has been actively contributing to the COPs to counter the worst effects of climate change worldwide. The historic Loss and Damage Fund proposal, which succeeded at COP27 held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt in 2022, originated from Pakistan. The country also introduced its first National Climate Finance Strategy (NCFS) framework at COP29 to mobilize climate finance for adaptation and mitigation. The framework outlines climate-related investments, international financing and the mobilisation of domestic resources to tackle the challenges posed by climate change.

The world is in the grip of climate disasters, yet a matching response from the international community is still lacking, if not entirely absent, in addressing these emergencies. Climate financing should have been a hallmark of any policy devised for climate mitigation, but it is sorely lacking. Surprisingly, the level of support and sustainability required to build a bulwark against global climate change is missing. The withdrawal of the US from the Paris Agreement was a major setback to these efforts. There is an urgent need to make Americans realise that they are equally vulnerable to climate disasters, just like the rest of the world. In fact, they are already suffering from such disasters, and it was a dangerously short-sighted move by Donald J Trump to make such a disastrous decision.

The IMF has already consented to extend an RSF facility worth $1.2 billion to Pakistan to deal with climate emergencies over the next three years. The Economic Affairs Division has also signed an agreement to receive $500 million in climate finance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The irony of the situation is that the government is doing little to enhance the capacity of its institutions to tackle climate-related damages.

The Climate Authority is yet to become fully functional, let alone other disaster management authorities. There is an immediate need for capacity building of climate-related management authorities to effectively address this menace of immense magnitude that threatens to disrupt both the people and the economy.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) needs to be strengthened to protect humanity and the planet from global warming. World leaders and governments must recognise the urgency of this issue to prevent total disaster and destruction. There is an urgent need to prioritise climate change. The COPs must reinforce their implementation mechanisms to ensure progress on their past and formal decisions. That should be a priority.

Climate financing to phase out fossil fuels must be a top priority for the Global North to support the Global South in addressing emissions caused by the greenhouse effect. The EU, China and India must take the lead in this regard, especially as the US remains largely disengaged due to President Trump’s controversial priorities, which have ignored climate emergencies.

Climate change is a stark reality. Climatic catastrophes have been destroying people’s lives, liberty, and homes, robbing them of their right to pursue the common goal of happiness. The policies of oil-producing countries are detrimental to achieving the goal of an emissions-free atmosphere, as they are reluctant to phase out fossil fuels due to their vast reserves of oil and gas. These countries, in fact, belong to the Global North, which must finance the climate-related needs of the Global South.

Among them are the OPEC+ countries, which determine their own roles in climate action – including the transition to a fossil fuel–free environment – though this often runs counter to their economic interests. What is needed now is a balanced approach, so that these countries are minimally affected by climate policies while still contributing to a cleaner atmosphere. That is the ultimate goal of climate action policies.

The urgent need is to strictly govern and implement all proposed climate actions in their entirety, in accordance with the decisions made at each year’s Conference of the Parties (COP). The sanctity of these COP decisions must be respected by all signatories, and actions should be taken against those who violate them.

Since this is a matter of life and death for humanity, it must be taken seriously. Climate actions must be pursued on a war footing. Violators must be held accountable. Decisions regarding the mitigation of climate effects should be enforced with the same seriousness and binding power as decisions made by the UN Security Council.

The writer is a former additional secretary and can be reached at: hassanbaig2009@gmail.com